Sabudana vada

I craved for some Sabudana vada when I read the NY times article about Prakash - a restaurant in Dadar, Mumbai. Have you ever been there? Do not miss their sabudana vada, batata vada, misal, upasachi misal, thalipeeth, dudhi halva, piyush, upasachi kachori...Hey, looks like I am writing their entire menu! Oh, they also have awesome puri-bhaaji and dalimbi usaL.

So I decided to make my version. I didn't want to deep fry it so I made disc shaped vadas instead of the usual spherical balls. Yes, deep fried version is crunchier and crispier but I preferred mine shallow fried to satiate the craving.

Sabudana Vada - (18 count)

Sago Fritters

Ingredients

• 1 cup sago/sabudana, soaked for 6 hours, drained
• 1 medium potato, boiled, peeled & grated
• 1/2 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts, powdered coarsely
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2" ginger, peeled & grated
• 2-3 green chilies, chopped
• 3/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 key lime, squeezed
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Oil for shallow or deep frying

Method

1. Pick sabudana/sago for any impurities. Soak in ample water for 6 hours.

2. Drain the water completely and keep aside for 15 minutes. When you touch each grain, it should be soft and should not have any hard interior.

3. Mash sago lightly with potato masher. Now add all the ingredients except oil for frying. Knead well.

4. Using wet hands, make 18 balls or discs.

5. Heat a nonstick pan. Place the discs in a single layer. Using oil as needed, shallow fry till they are brown on both sides.

6. Serve with upasachi chutney.

Note -

1. For the authentic flavor, deep fry the sago balls till they are crispy brown